Floribunda rose plant named ‘WEKsanpoly’

ABSTRACT

A new variety of Floribunda rose suitable for garden decoration, having flowers of even medium red coloration.

BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION

Rosa hybrida.

VARIETY DENOMINATION

WEKsanpoly.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a new and distinct variety of Floribunda Rose.The varietal denomination of the new variety is ‘WEKsanpoly’. It has asits seed parent the variety known as ‘POUlclaus’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No.9,063) and as its pollen parent an undisseminated seedling of mycreation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Among the features which distinguish the new variety from otherpresently available and commercial rose cultivars known to the inventorare the following combination of characteristics: its even lasting redcoloration, its sepal inner surfaces that blush red with age, itsrounded bushy growing habit and its deep red style coloration. The newvariety has a rounded bushy to somewhat upright growing habit, suitablefor outdoor garden decoration.

Asexual reproduction of the new variety by budding as performed in KernCounty and Upland, Calif., shows that the foregoing and otherdistinguishing characteristics come true to form and are established andtransmitted through succeeding asexual propagations. ‘WEKsanpoly’ may beasexually propagated by cuttings, budding and grafting.

COMPARISON WITH PARENTS

The new variety may be distinguished from its seed parent, ‘Poulclaus’by the following combination of characteristics: whereas ‘POUlclaus’bears small sized flowers (about 5 to 6.5 cm. in diameter) and foliage,‘WEKsanpoly’ bears significantly larger flowers (6.9 to about 9.0 cm. indiameter) and foliage. The seed parent is classified as a miniature rosewith a small mature growing habit, whereas ‘WEKsanpoly’ is classified asa floribunda rose with a significantly larger mature growing habit.

The new variety may be distinguished from its pollen parent, anundisseminated seedling of my creation, by the following combination ofcharacteristics: whereas the undisseminated seedling bears semi-doubleflowers (about 7 to about 12 petals) and medium-large foliage,‘WEKsanpoly’ bears double flowers with significantly higher petalage(about 18 to about 26 petals) and significantly smaller foliage. The newvariety has a rounded bushy to somewhat upright growing habit with darkred new shoots whereas the pollen parent has a significantly morespreading growing habit with green new shoots.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATION

The accompanying photograph illustrates the new variety and shows theflowering thereof from bud to full bloom depicted in color as nearlycorrect as it is possible to make in a color illustration of thecharacter. Throughout this specification, color references and/or valuesare based upon The Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society(1966) except where common terms of color definition are employed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW VARIETY

The following description is of 3 to 4 year-old rose plants of the newvariety grown outdoors in Kern County, Calif. in the month of September.Phenotypic expression may vary with environmental, cultural and climaticconditions, as well as differences in conditions of light and soil.

FLOWER

The new variety sometimes bears its flowers singly, sometimes inclusters of three to four or more per stem. Flowers may be borne inregular flat to somewhat rounded clusters on strong medium stems (about52 to about 80 cm.). Outdoors, the plant blooms abundantly and nearlycontinuously during the growing season. The flowers have a slight teafragrance.

BUD

The peduncle is about 4.1 to about 5.8 cm. in length, of average tosomewhat heavy caliper (about 0.2 to about 0.4 cm. in diameter), andusually erect to somewhat stiff. It is somewhat smooth, with some coarsestipitate glands and very few hairs. Peduncle color is between 144B and148D often moderatly suffused, especially on the side exposed to thesun, with between 183B and 187C.

Before the calyx breaks, the bud is about 1.0 to about 1.5 cm. indiameter at the widest point, about 1.4 to about 2.3 cm. in length, andvery pointed in shape. The surface of the bud bears few foliaceousappendages and some stipitate glands, usually with slender slightly cutfoliaceous parts extending beyond the tip of the bud about ¼ or more ofits length. Bud color is between 144A and 148C sometimes lightlysuffused, especially on the side exposed to the sun, with between 183Aand 187C.

Before the calyx breaks, the bud is about 1.0 to about 1.5 cm. indiameter at the widest point, about 1.4 to about 2.3 cm. in length, andvery pointed in shape. The surface of the bud bears few foliaceousappendages and some stipitate glands, usually with slender slightly cutfoliaceous parts extending beyond the tip of the bud about ¼ or more ofits length. Bud color is between 144A and 148C sometimes lightlysuffused, especially on the side exposed to the sun, with between 183Aand 187C.

The sepals are about 1.8 to about 3.1 cm. in length and about 0.7 toabout 1.1 cm. in width at the widest point. The outer surface color ofthe sepal is between 144A and 148C sometimes lightly suffused,especially on the side exposed to the sun, with between 183A and 187C.The inner surface of the sepal is covered with fine wooly tomentum;sepal margins are lined with many stipitate glands and hairs. Color ofthe inner surface of the sepal is between 139C and 148D. As the sepalsbegin to open, when the calyx breaks, sometimes a blush color between183D and 185C develops on the inner surface of the sepals. As the flowermatures, the inner surface of the sepal often blushes over the entiresurface with a suffusion of between 183C and 185B.

As the petals open (after the calyx breaks), the bud is about 1.2 toabout 2.2 cm. in diameter at the widest point, about 1.8 to about 2.6cm. in length, and very pointed to somewhat ovoid in form. The color ofthe under surfaces of the newly opened petals is between 53A and 60A. Atthe point where the petal attaches, there is a small zone of near 3C.The color of the upper surfaces of the newly opened petals is between53A and 60A. At the point where the petal attaches, there is amoderately small zone of between 6B and 7C.

BLOOM

When fully open, the bloom ranges from about 6.5 to about 9.0 cm. indiameter. Petalage is double with about 18 to 26 petals and about 1 to 3petaloids irregularly arranged. When partially open, the bloom form ismoderately cupped to somewhat high centered, and the petals aremoderately cupped to somewhat spiraled and slightly undulated with petaledges sometimes very reflexed inward but usually moderately reflexedoutward. When fully open, the bloom form is more cupped to flat, and thepetals are loosely cupped to more undulated with petal edges moderatelyreflexed outward.

PETALS

The substance of the petals is somewhat heavy and of medium thickness,with upper surfaces moderately satiny to slightly velvety and undersurfaces slightly shiny to matte. The outer petals are broadly obovatein shape with rounded apices. The inner petals are moderatelyoblanceolate to somewhat obovate in shape with rounded to sometimesemarginated apices. The petals are about 2.6 to about 4.2 cm. in lengthand 2.1 to about 3.3 cm. in width at the widest point. Petal margins aremostly entire to sometimes slightly irregularly crenate.

NEWLY OPENED FLOWER

The under surface color of the outer, intermediate and inner petals isbetween 53C and 60A. At the point where the petal attaches, there is asmall zone of near 5C. The upper surface color of the outer,intermediate and inner petals is between 45A and 53B. At the point wherethe petal attaches, there is a moderately small zone of near 9C.

The general tonality of the newly opened flower is between 45A and 53B.

THREE-DAY-OLD FLOWER

The under surface color of the outer and inner petals is between 53D and60A. At the point where the petal attaches, there is a small zone ofbetween 3D and 2D. The upper surface color of the outer and inner petalsis between 46A and 53B. At the point where the petal attaches, there isa moderately small zone of between 5C and 6C.

The general tonality of the three-day-old flower is between 46A and 53B.

On the spent bloom, the petals usually drop off cleanly.

In September in Kern County, Calif., blooms on the bush growing outdoorsgenerally last about four to five or more days. Cut roses from plantsgrown outdoors and kept at normal indoor living temperatures generallylast about four to five or more days.

MALE REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS

Stamens are many in number (average about 103) and are arrangedregularly about the pistils; a few are mixed with petaloids. Thefilaments are variable in length (about 0.3 to about 0.6 cm.), most withanthers. Filaments are near 6C at the base and between 12A and 13B nearthe top often suffused with near 33B. The anthers are of medium size andall open approximately at the same time. Anther color is between 16A and20A when immature and between 200C and 164B at maturity. Pollen is veryabundant.

FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS

Pistils vary in number (average about 83). The styles are moderatelyuneven to somewhat long in length (about 0.6 to about 0.9 cm.), somewhatheavy in caliper, and very loosely bunched. Stigma color is between 13Dand 18C. Style color is between 2C and 1C often heavily suffused nearthe top with near 53A. Ovaries are usually all enclosed in the calyx.

Hips are of average length (about 1.7 to about 2.4 cm.), moderatelyglobular in form, and between 28A and 33B in color when ripe. The hipsurface is very smooth with thick fleshy walls. The sepals aremoderately permanent, somewhat long in length, and usually straight inshape. The seeds are irregularly rounded, smooth in texture,approximately 10 to about 15 per hip, about 0.3 to about 0.6 cm. indiameter at the widest point and between 160C and 162C in color.

FOLIAGE

The compound leaves are usually comprised of three to five or moreleaflets and are borne abundantly. The five-leaflet leaves are about 6.1to about 10.5 cm. in length and about 5.1 to about 8.2 cm. in width atthe widest point, somewhat heavy to leathery in texture, and moderatelyglossy in finish. The terminal leaflets are about 2.8 to about 5.6 cm.in length and about 1.6 to about 3.3 cm. in width at the widest point,shaped broadly oval to somewhat ovate with moderately acute apices andmoderately rounded to somewhat acute bases. Their margins are usuallysimply serrate.

The upper surface color of the mature leaf is between 147A and 139A. Theunder surface color of the mature leaf is between 147B and 139C. Theupper surface color of the young leaf is between 147A and 138B,sometimes lightly suffused with between 187A and 187B. The under surfacecolor of the young leaf is between 147B and 138C, sometimes lightlysuffused with between 187B and 187C.

The rachis is somewhat light in caliper and almost smooth. The upperside is shallowly grooved with few hairs and some stipitate glands onthe edges of the grooves. The under side of the rachis is almost smoothwith few stipitate glands and very few small prickles. The rachis coloris between 144B and 145A.

The stipules are about 0.7 to about 1.2 cm. in length and of mediumwidth (about 0.5 to about 0.7 cm.) with medium to somewhat long straightpoints that usually turn out at an angle of more than 45 degrees,sometimes recurving toward the stem. The stipule color is between 137Cand 147B.

The petiole is about 0.7 to about 1.4 cm. in length and about 0.1 toabout 0.2 cm in diameter at the widest point. The petiole color isbetween 137C and 147B.

The plant displays an average degree of resistance to powdery mildew andrust as compared to other commercial varieties grown under comparableconditions in Wasco, Calif. The plant's winter hardiness anddrought/heat tolerance are yet to be determined.

GROWTH

The plant has a rounded bushy to somewhat upright low to medium heightgrowing habit (about 88 to about 105 cm. in height and about 72 to about88 cm. spread at the widest point), with full branching. It displaysmoderately vigorous growth and the canes are of somewhat small to mediumcaliper for the class.

The color of the major stems is near 146B. They bear some large pricklesthat are about 0.6 to about 1.1 cm. in length. The large prickles arealmost straight to angled slightly downward with a medium lengthsomewhat broad oval base; prickle color is between 164A and 165B. Themajor stem bears few medium sized and few small prickles of similarshape and coloration.

The color of the branches is between 144A and 148C. They bear few largeprickles which are of similar size and shape to the large prickles onthe major stems; prickle color is between 160B and 160C. The branchesbear some medim sized and some small prickles of similar shape andcoloration and few stipitate glands.

The color of the new shoots is between 144A and 148C. They bear fewlarge prickles which are of similar size and shape to the large prickleson the major stems; prickle color is between 1C and 160B sometimeslightly suffused with between 183D and 185C. The shoots bear some mediumsized and some small prickles of similar shape and coloration and fewstipitate glands.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct Floribunda rose plant of the variety substantially as described and illustrated herein. 